‘Lovers’
Brian Friel
Quotes and Themes
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‘Lovers’
On the following slides you will find useful
quotes under the plays main themes.
Remember the themes can overlap and
therefore some of the quotes can also be
relevant in discussing a variety of the themes.
Use the quotes that you feel best demonstrate
your points.
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Frustrated Christianity
‘Winners’
•Frustrated Christianity: Mag and Joe live in a
Christian community and yet the majority of
people in this community have shown them no
benevolence, understanding or sympathy.
•They get little in the way of support outside
their families. They are ostracised by their
schools and by certain factions in their
community.
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Frustrated Christianity
Quotes
‘Joe: The town clerk –bang! All the
teachers –bang!
Mag: The church choir –
Joe: Bang! Everyone that lives along
snobby, snotty Melville Road – bang-bangbang-bang!’ Pg. 18.
This quote represents the couple’s feelings
towards the pillars of the community.
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Frustrated Christianity
‘Losers’
•They worship (in Andy’s case he is forced to
worship) a plaster-cast saint. St Philomena
represents the Church.
•The ritual of placing St Philomena at the heart of
the proceedings when they go through the ritual of
the Rosary highlights Cissy and Mrs Wilson’s
dependency on ‘Churchianity.’
•The references to Father Peyton’s dogmatic
maxims further help to point up their dependency
on Churchianity.
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Frustrated Christianity
‘Losers’
•Cissy and Mrs Wilson use their ‘Churchianity’ as a
powerful weapon to maintain the status quo and
keep the moral high ground.
•Andy and Hanna are not shown any kind of
warmth, understanding or caring Christianity by
Cissy or Mrs Wilson. They consequently suffer from
the harshness of a cold, calculated, brutal, dogmatic
and inflexible Christianity.
•We witness a lack of truthful spirituality. The
proceedings are a sham.
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Frustrated Christianity -Quotes
‘Losers’
‘Andy: And how’s Saint Philomena?
Hanna: You can laugh. ‘The pair of you’ll be
up later for the Rosary, won’t you?’
Andy: (Mock devotion) With the help of
God.’ Pg. 56.
This quote shows Andy being reminded of
the expectations placed on him.
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Frustrated Christianity -Quotes
‘Losers’
‘Cissy: …Andrew –thanks be to God. Well…I’ll
see you both at ten.
Andy: Joyful mysteries tonight, Cissy, isn’t it?
Cissy: Thursday – so it is! Oh, you’re coming
closer and closer to us, Andrew Tracey!’ Pg. 61.
Again this quote showing the expectation for
Andy to attend. Andy mocks this, displaying his
attitude towards the ritual.
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Frustrated Christianity -Quotes
‘Losers’
‘Andy: And she knew that I knew what she was
up to with her wee sermons about Father
Peyton and all that stuff about the family that
prays together stays together.’ Pg. 60.
This quote shows the manipulation Mrs Wilson
would try to subtly use on Hanna and Andy to
prevent Hanna from leaving.
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Frustrated Christianity -Quotes
‘Losers’
‘Andy: And then there was the Rosary caper. Well, I
mean to say, a man has to draw the line
somewhere. Oh, no, says I; we may have to stay
together out of necessity, says I, but by God it won’t
be because we pray together.’ Pg. 69.
This quote is great in demonstrating Andy’s true
feelings about the religion and his attempt to take
control and not take part. Although this doesn’t quite
work!
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Frustrated Christianity -Quotes
‘Losers’
Andy:‘…the devotion of all Roman Catholics to Saint
Philomena must be discontinued at once because there
is little or no evidence that such a person ever existed.’
Like I never knew I was a spiteful man until that
minute…my only thought was to stick that paper down
the aul’ woman’s throat.’ Pg.70.
This quote very clearly shows Andy’s Frustrated Christianity
and his opportunity to try and break free from the control
that Mrs Wilson has over the couple.
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Influence of the Catholic Religion
‘Winners’
•The nuns at Mag’s school are depicted as
dogmatic, authoritarian and inflexible.
•Interestingly the priests in Joe’s school are
shown in a slightly better light than the nuns.
His school is run by the clergy of the diocese –
not by an order – so the implication is that they
are marginally more human and open minded.
•However, Father Kelly is depicted as dogmatic,
authoritarian and inflexible.
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Influence of the Catholic Religion
‘Winners’ Quotes
‘Joe: When Father Kelly sent for me last Friday
fortnight, I knew I was done for…I must insist
that you remove all your belongings from the
college and that you don’t set foot within the
grounds until the morning of the first
examination.’ Pg. 44.
This quotes highlights the consequences to Mag and Joe’s
predicament and the response from the school in dealing with
this i.e. that Joe was to be expelled.
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Influence of the Catholic Religion
‘Winners’ Quotes
‘Joe: (Pompous) I will not talk again about the
dishonour you have brought to your school,
your family, and yourself. And I trust you have
made your peace with God. Goodbye, Brennan.’
Pg. 44.
•This is a good quote to show the Catholic school and
communities response to their situation. This shows the focus on
the ‘sin’ committed and the need to try to deal with the situation
quickly to prevent any further mention of it.
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Influence of the Catholic Religion
‘Winners’ Quotes
• ‘Mag: And at home last week, every time I heard the
convent bell, I cried: I felt so lost. I would have given
anything to be a part of them – to be in the middle
of them.’ Pg.46.
This quote represents Mag’s isolation as she has been ostracised
by her school and the community and even by her parents –
• ‘Mag: My God, the things they said to me – they
seared my soul forever-’ Pg. 19.
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Influence of the catholic Religion
‘Losers’
•Mrs Wilson is a deeply religious, pious, old woman.
Andy informs us that she gathers Cissy, Hanna and
himself around her bed every night at ten to say the
Rosary.
•Mrs Wilson has her shrine to St Philomena. Her
bedroom has been turned into a place of worship.
There are flowers and candles which are lit each night
when she goes through the Rosary.
•Andy’s portrayal of Mrs Wilson depicts a woman who
is dogmatic, authoritarian and inflexible.
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Influence of the Catholic Religion
‘Losers’
• Mrs Wilson has created a place of worship
with visual reminders of her faith. She blindly
follows her faith and continually expresses her
devotion to St Philomena.
• She has latched on to the teachings of Father
Peyton and recites his maxims. Her mantra –
‘The family that prays together stays together’
– is a constant reminder to Hanna of her duty
in the eyes of the Church.
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Influence of the Catholic Religion
‘Losers’
• Although at the end the devotion to St
Philomena stops and Father Peyton no longer
gets mentioned by name, Mrs Wilson ‘still has
the altar and she still lights the candles and
has the flowers in the middle’.
• We end the play with the clear affirmation
that the influence of the Catholic church
continues to have a firm grip on Andy.
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Influence of the Catholic religion-Quotes
‘Losers’
‘Mrs Wilson: As Father Peyton says: the family that prays together stays
together… And Father Peyton is right, isn’t he, Andrew?
Andy: Right, Mrs. Wilson.
Mrs Wilson: If you only knew the consolation it is for me to have you all
kneeling around my bed.
Cissy: It’s what you deserve.
Mrs Wilson: Thank you, Saint Philomena. Thank you.’ Pg. 66+67.
This quote helps to show the constant pressure Mrs Wilson puts onto Hanna
and Andy to take part in the ritual of the Rosary and in a bigger sense her
reminder of their expectations towards her in the eyes of the Church.
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Influence of the Catholic Religion
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: …when the bell rings I go up to the aul’ woman’s room for
prayers. Well, I mean to say, anything for a quiet life.’ Pg. 75.
‘Andy…nothing much has changed up there. Philomena’s gone of
course. And she never mentions Father Peyton anymore. But she
still has the altar and she still lights the candles… and she still
faces it when she’s praying and mouths away to it.’ Pg. 75
Both of these quotes show that despite the relegation of Saint Philomena, the religion
continues to have a huge influence on Andy. Mrs Wilson has maintained her control in
the house. Hanna now sleeps with her mother and Andy’s life has become one of
loneliness and passive acceptance.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’
•Mag’s pregnancy has forced the young lovers to
conform to society’s expectations.
•Mag’s romantic rhetoric contrasts with Joe’s pragmatic
attitude towards his studies.
•Mag has doubts about marriage to Joe and her future
happiness. She needs reassurance. Mag gives an insight
into the dysfunctional marriage of her parents and is
determined not to end up like them.
•Joe’s angry outbursts reveal a deep-rooted resentment
at finding himself caught in the predicament of having
to get married because of Mag’s pregnancy.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’
• We gain an insight into the dysfunctional
marriage of the Brennans.
• Joe indicates that as married people get older
they hardly love each other, yet stick together
out of loyalty. We are made increasingly aware
of the big differences between Mag and Joe.
• We see flashes of bitterness and doubt
between them.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’ - Quotes
‘Mag: Stuck in you old books as if they were the
most important thing in the world; an youryour- intended waiting like a dog for you to toss
her a kind word.’ Pg. 23.
We see here a distinct difference in their priorities as
Mag has declared her love for Joe yet he has his focus
on his studies. This often causes a lot of tension
between the couple.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’ - Quotes
‘Mag: After we’re married we’ll have lots of
laughs together, Joe, won’t we? We’ll laugh a
lot, won’t we? (She begins to cry inaudibly) Joe,
I’m nervous; I’m frightened, Joe; I’m terrified…’
Pg. 28.
Mag has insecurities and doubts about their relationship as does
Joe. This quote shows her need for reassurance and the fact that
she is not entirely sure about their future. She usually tries to
hide this through storytelling but here we see her true feelings.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’ - Quotes
‘Joe: You haven’t shut up for five consecutive minutes since we
got here! You have done no work yourself and you have wasted
my morning, too! And if anyone should be working, it’s you,
because you haven’t a clue about anything! In fact, you’re the
stupidest person I ever met!’ Pg. 30-31
Joe’s outburst highlights the difference between the
characters attitudes and priorities towards education.
Joe even insults Mag here highlighting a resentment
and lack of respect towards her.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’ - Quotes
‘Joe: You trapped me into marrying you – that’s all right
– I’ll marry you. But I’ll lead my own life. And somehow
– somehow I’ll get a degree and be a maths teacher.
And nobody neither you nor your precious baby nor
anyone else, is going to stop me!’ Pg. 31.
This is a vital quote in highlighting Joe’s feelings and bitterness towards the
pregnancy and an inner resentment towards Mag. He blames her or takes his
frustrations out on her in response to their predicament. This in turn creates
more insecurities in the relationship.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’ - Quotes
‘Joe: Loyalty, I suppose; ‘cos when you’re that
age, you hardly – you know- really love your
husband or wife any more…’ Pg. 39.
We gain an insight here into Mr and Mrs Brennan’s dysfunctional
marriage and this obviously has an impact on Joe’s perception of
love and relationships. The acceptance to stay together out of
loyalty rather than for happiness is a reflection on his situation
with Mag.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’ - Quotes
‘Joe: You know, we never speak at all, except
maybe ‘Is the tea ready?’ or ‘Bring in some coal.’
…Sitting up there in that freezing attic, going
over my old marks…’ Pg. 39.
This quote helps to illustrate the awkward relationship Joe has
with his father. In particular, in the fact they don’t speak yet his
father has this hidden pride for his son’s achievements. The
frustrated love is in the fact that his father is proud of him yet
chooses to hide this and not express it to Joe.
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Frustrated Love
‘Winners’ - Quotes
‘Joe: And if you think the Brennan’s aren’t swanky enough for
you, then by God you shouldn’t be in such a hurry to marry one
of them! You dragged that out of me. But it happens to be the
truth. And it’s better that it should come out now that after
we’re married.’ Pg. 42.
We see the bitterness and even class difference being reflected in
this part of the play. In particular, this helps to highlight the
contrast in the characters and the tensions and doubts they have
about their relationship.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’
•A couple who suffer from the kind of repression that Andy and Hanna suffer
from cannot have a healthy love. Andy and Hanna have a dysfunctional
marriage.
•We discover this in Andy’s opening monologue. Andy takes us backwards in
time to show us why this has happened. Hanna has to look after her invalid
mother. She has conformed to society’s expectations. If Hanna was to put her
invalid mother into a home she would suffer from guilt and society’s
disapproval would compound this feeling. This is a complex predicament.
•This is her mother, the woman who gave her life and brought her up in the
Catholic faith. She would have been all too aware of her responsibilities and
of the sanctity of the family. She is also bound in some ways to be very close
to her mother; after all she rarely saw much of her father when he was alive.
Her mother would have had a big influence in her formative years. Indeed
you could almost say she brought Hanna up single-handedly. Hanna does feel
trapped however.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’
•Hanna has become a martyr to the needs of her mother and is
weary and tired. We know that she has not had a man in her life
for over twenty years.
•She is in love with Andy and doesn’t want to lose him. She
wants time to be alone with him and to be loved. She is in her
late forties. There could not have been many eligible bachelors
in this community and Andy represents a reasonably good catch.
He is of the same social class as Hanna. He has a job as a joiner.
He has his own cottage.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’
•Andy is pleasantly surprised by Hanna’s strength of feeling for
him. He wants to marry Hanna and settle down in his cottage,
‘Riverview’.
•He doesn’t like Mrs Wilson. She drives a wedge between him
and Hanna. He reluctantly agrees to Mrs Wilson’s wishes but is
clearly uncomfortable at being made to go through the ritual of
the Rosary every night.
•Andy and Hannah are frustrated every time Mrs Wilson’s bell
rings. They rarely get the opportunity to be alone. As soon as
they get passionate they are interrupted. This happens regularly.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’
•Their time together is constantly
interrupted by Cissy’s nightly visits
and Mrs Wilson’s bell whenever
she wants attention or if she is
suspicious of what Andy and
Hanna are up to downstairs.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’
•Hanna doesn’t want to take up Andy’s offer of having
Mrs Wilson live in his cottage because she knows that
her mother will not settle for anything less than being
the head of the house in her own home. But this in
turn gives Mrs Wilson continued influence and power
over Andy and Hanna.
•Andy doesn’t want to be caught in this particular trap.
A future in Mrs Wilson’s household would be one of
servitude and strict adherence to Mrs Wilson’s social
and religious doctrines.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’
•We know that Andy and Hanna’s relationship is
doomed as soon as Andy reveals that he was
persuaded to live in Mrs Wilson’s house.
•We question the true depth of Andy’s love
when he reveals that a big reason for marrying
Hanna was to avoid being sent to Belfast.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’
• His relationship with Hanna changed as soon
as they got married. ‘But somehow the spirit
seemed to drain out of her from the very
beginning.’ This is an ominous sign and
indicates that the passion they had was to
disappear. Once they were married Hanna did
not show the same intensity of anger towards
her mother.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: That bloody bell! And nine times out of ten, you
know, she didn’t want a damn thing: Who’s at the
door…Is it time for the Rosary? Any excuse at all to
keep Hanna on the hop, and at the same time making
damn sure we weren’t going to enjoy ourselves.’ Pg. 55.
This demonstrates signs of the strain Mrs Wilson puts
on their relationship and the building resentment Andy
has for her. Her control within the house stops Hanna
and Andy from having any alone time together.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: …to see a woman that had plenty of
spark in her at one time and then to see her
turn before your very eyes into a younger image
of her mother, by God it’s strange, I tell you,
very peculiar…’ Pg. 59.
This quote helps to show that Andy is not as happy as he used to
be in the relationship. He has expressed a dislike towards Mrs
Wilson and to now compare her to Hanna shows his changed
feelings towards her as well.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: …I have a place and all of my own, ready and
furnished and everything! And leaping sky-high every
time you hear a bloody bell isn’t my idea of married
bliss! My God, you don’t expect that of me, do you?
Well, do you?’ Pg. 63.
This is a great example of Frustrated Love as their predicament of having to
look after Mrs Wilson is causing tension between the couple. Andy also knows
that if he has to stay in Mrs Wilson’s house then this will continue to give her
control over them.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Hanna: The day I get married I’m getting shot of
her for good! And no matter what you say now,
you know fine well you don’t want her hanging
round your neck either.’ Pg. 63.
Hanna vents her Frustrated Love towards her mother
here as the strain of her responsibility takes its toll on
her own future plans. Hanna displays real anger and
resentment towards her mother.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Stage direction: Hanna clumps around the
room, doing her chores with an ungracious
vigour and with obvious ill-will.’ Pg. 65.
Another moment which comes after the ringing of the
bell. This shows Hanna is tired of having to look after
her mother and the frustration of having to put her
mother's needs before her own.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: ‘All the single men in the joinery room are
being sent to Belfast on a contract job.’ So there
was nothing for it, like, but to get married.’ Pg.
68.
This quote enables us to question Andy’s depth of feelings for
Hanna and his reasons for marriage. This makes you question
the fact that maybe they have both just ‘settled’ for each other.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: And a funny thing about the bloody bell,
too…after we got married, it only went when
Hanna and me started talking. Wasn’t that
perverse now, eh?’ Pg. 69.
This is an interesting quote as Mrs Wilson has changed tact here by not
ringing the bell in silence but when she hears talking. She still exerts control
yet she still does not want their relationship to develop, she wants to maintain
the status quo in the house and now that they are married does not want
Hanna to forget her place – which is by her mothers side.
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Frustrated Love
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: Hanna, things are… we’re not
making…you and me, Hanna, we’re not…Here,
have a clove rock, Hanna.
Hanna: No. They’d put me off my supper.’ Pg. 76.
This quote underpins the Frustrated Love Andy now feels yet he is unable to
change this. This also represents the ‘nail in the coffin’ of their relationship.
The clove rock was once a symbol and gesture of love, now Hanna casts it
aside, unaccepting, almost as she has done with her relationship.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Winners’
•This theme in ‘Winners’ mainly revolves around Joe
and the fact that he must take responsibility to look
after Mag and the baby.
•In the eyes of society it his duty to look after her. At
first he resents this as it means forsaking his career and
ambitions to stay in Ballymore and marry Mag.
•He does eventually conform and accepts his fate that
he will have to accept the job working for Skinny
Skeehan to provide for his family.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Winners’ Quotes
‘Joe: But if you think I’m going to waste my life
in Skinny Skeehan’s smelly office, that’s where
you’re mistaken.’ Pg. 31.
An insight is given here into Joe’s resentment at
having to get a job, giving up his dreams of
becoming a maths teacher.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Winners’ Quotes
‘Joe: …I was working out our finances. The rent of the
flat’s two-ten. That’ll leave us with about four-ten. And
if I could get some private pupils, that would bring in
another – say- thirty bob. We can manage fine on that,
can’t we?’ Pg. 37.
This quote demonstrates that Joe is thinking about their
future and reflects his mature and pragmatic attitude
towards their situation. He is thinking here about his
family.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Winners’ Quotes
‘Joe: I’m not half good enough for you…But I’ll
try to be tender and good to you; honest to God,
I’ll try.’ Pg. 38.
Joe originally plans to keep his savings for himself until
he reads about a Caesarean and then we see a different
side to him, a caring and tentative person who wants to
look after her.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Winners’ Quotes
‘Joe: I think I should forget about studying and London University
and all that.
Mag: If that’s what you want.
Joe: It's maybe not what I want. But that’s the way things have
turned out. A married man with a family has more important
things to occupy his mind besides bloody books.’ Pg. 47.
In this quote we see that Joe has accepted his fate and what is
expected of him in terms of responsibility. Mag does not try to
challenge this. Joe’s future has been decided.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Losers’
•Hanna is all too aware of her moral responsibilities.
Society expects her to put the needs of her widowed,
invalid mother before her own.
•Although Hanna ‘. . . clumps around the room, doing
her chores with an ungracious vigour and with obvious
ill-will’, she does do them. Hanna has been aware of
her moral responsibilities ever since she was born. She
hasn’t abandoned her mother although she does have
good reason to. She is trapped.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Losers’
•Divorce is not an option for Andy. He
conforms to the role of a supportive
husband. His life has become one of
quiet acceptance. Hanna continues
with her obligation to look after her
mother.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Hanna: I come home from work beat out and before I
get a bite in my mouth she says, ‘Run out like a good
child and get us a sprig of fresh flowers for Saint
Philomena’s altar.’
Andy: Did you go?
(Hanna points to the flowers wrapped in paper) Pg. 55.
This quote helps to show the acceptance from Hanna of
her responsibility to put her mother’s needs before her
own.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Cissy: Invalids is all saints – that’s what I say.’ Pg.65.
‘Mrs Wilson: Amen to that. Poor Hanna’s run off her
feet, isn’t she?
Cissy: A labour of love.’ Pg. 66.
Here are two examples of remarks that are made
particularly by Cissy to remind Hanna of her role as a
daughter and in the expectation to look after her
mother, while Cissy sits back!
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Moral Responsibility
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: Oh, no, says I; we may have to stay
together of necessity, says I, but by God it won’t
be because we pray together.’ Pg. 69.
This is an example of Andy’s true feelings about
the religious expectations placed on him but he
also shows here that he is aware that he is now
stuck in this unhappy marriage.
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Moral Responsibility
‘Losers’ Quotes
‘Andy: And then when the bell rings I go up to the aul’
woman’s room for the prayers. Well, I mean to say,
anything for a quiet life. Hanna sleeps there now…just
in case the aul’ woman should get an attack during the
night.’ Pg. 75.
The quite acceptance from Andy. He is now ostracised
and lonely as Hanna has continued to put her mother
first and his future with Hanna is bleak.
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Well Done!
You have now completed some of
the revision on the themes and
quotes from Lovers. However,
please read the full notes as they
give a great insight into the
characters and aspects to consider
as a director and actor.
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